


The Ice

by LeafMeAloneImBushed



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Drowning, F/M, Hurt Jughead Jones, Hurt/Comfort, Hypothermia, Protective Archie Andrews, Protective FP Jones II, i wrote this at 3 am, im sorry lol, its okay tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:54:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24314605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeafMeAloneImBushed/pseuds/LeafMeAloneImBushed
Summary: Archie was right.The Ice wasn't strong enough to hold all of them.
Relationships: Archie Andrews & Jughead Jones, Archie Andrews/Veronica Lodge, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones
Comments: 8
Kudos: 88





	The Ice

Archie was right.

The ice wasn’t strong enough to hold all of them. 

“Cheryl!” Betty and Veronica screamed in unison as the red-haired girl fell right through the ice over Sweetwater River. Jughead didn’t have time to think. Neither did Archie, apparently, as both of the teenage boys shot into the frozen river, kicking up snow while screaming Cheryl’s name. Jughead was vaguely aware of the two girls behind him, though they were falling behind almost as fast as he was. Archie had always been the strong, athletic one, so it made sense that he reached the hole in the ice first. Jughead followed close behind and had a moment to wonder how Archie wasn’t cold when he realized Cheryl wasn’t there. Only malevolent black water swirled quickly past the hole, undoubtedly carrying the girl away from them. 

“The current has her,” Jughead shouted at the approaching duo. “Spread out!” 

Without another prompt, his friends immediately split apart, brushing away snow despite the cold that stung their hands. At this point, Jughead was covered with snow, and his feet were starting to grow numb. He spent another excruciating few seconds kicking up snow, looking for a flash of red under the rime, with white flurries swirling around him from his friends’ searches. He was about to admit defeat when Archie called out to them. 

“Over here!” Betty and Veronica gathered around Archie, who was crouched over a clear patch of ice, where Jughead could see Cheryl floating beneath it, her hands pressed to the only thing keeping her from the air. Jughead shuddered, and before anyone could stop him, Archie slammed his fists into the cold surface. 

Veronica let out a shriek as he did it again, drawing blood from his knuckles and making a small red puddle. 

“Archie-” Betty tried before the ice finally gave way from the force of his best friends’ punches. Cheryl had started to sink, and only the tips of her red hair were visible. Bubbles popped on the surface of the river before Archie seemed to steel himself and reached into its’ depths. After a second, he pulled out a gasping and dripping Cheryl Blossom, and frankly, Jughead was surprised she was still breathing. Archie pulled her close to him, trying to warm her up. She was shivering, badly, and if they didn’t get her somewhere warm quick, she would go into shock and she possibly already had moderate to severe hypothermia. His mind moved quickly, while the other three simply stared in shock. Without a second thought, Jughead removed his fluffy jean jacket and wrapped it around the girl. She sighed as she was embraced with the material, already warm from Jughead’s body heat. A cold wind swept across the five, and a now-jacketless Jughead shivered. 

“Come on, we have to get her somewhere warm.” He ordered, nudging Archie. Archie nodded and scooped the Blossom girl into his arms. Veronica took a place next to Archie and Jughead took the other side, his hand hovering over Archie’s arm in case he accidentally dropped her. Betty was to Jughead’s right, and she shot him a glance mixed with worry and relief, and he gave her a wry smile, taking a moment to stare into those beautiful, big green eyes. God, she’s so beautiful. Jughead couldn’t believe that she was his - that she actually loved him back. He frowned when he saw her shiver and wished he had another jacket he could give to her. He then realized how cold it was, and shivered himself, pressing his hands over his nose and mouth and exhaling, trying to warm the numb tip of his nose. He stumbled after Archie, the cold snow sinking into his boots and making an uncomfortable puddle. There’s no other way I would rather spend a winter day. He thought to himself sarcastically. My favorite thing to do is totally to go hiking on a frozen river after a blizzard without a coat. So fun. But in a way, he was glad he came. If he hadn’t they might have never saved Cheryl, and she would be lost to the depths of the river along with her twin brother. He sighed, his breath making small clouds in the air, and stuffed his hands in his pockets. Suddenly, a loud crack rang through the air. Jughead froze and looked down, expecting to see the ice splintering beneath his feet. But the glaze held strong, and to his surprise, so did the ice under Archie, Cheryl, and Veronica. Then a sound came from behind him, making his blood run cold and his heart thump painfully. 

“J-J-Jug…” Jughead swirled around at the sound of Betty’s sob. He saw her, a few feet away from him, her arms extended from her sides for balance as the ice continued to crack beneath her. Her eyes stared at him, wide with fear as her tears froze to her cheeks. He heard Archie noisily crash towards them.

“Stop, Archie!” Jughead shouted at him, his eyes never leaving his girlfriend. “You’re too heavy. You’ll make it worse.” Archie abruptly stopped, his fingers tearing at his red hair in anxiety. Veronica and Cheryl stood a bit behind him, Veronia supporting her friend as she shivered in Jughead’s jacket. Jughead reached his hands toward the scared blonde, his eyes flicking from the ice to his love as his mind raced. Betty hiccuped and let out another shriek as the ice splintered yet again, more cracks racing along the clear surface. 

“Hey,” Jughead tried to reassure her. “Hey, hey, hey. It’s okay. Look at me.” Betty obliged, her green eyes boring into his dark blue ones. 

“It’s gonna be okay. Just- Just-” He inhaled sharply as another crack appeared under her feet. “Okay, I-I have an idea.” He felt like his heart would stop. He couldn’t lose her. He just couldn’t. He inched closer, wincing as the ice gave another groan under his weight. Betty stayed silent, staring at her boyfriend as he crept closer, his arm extended towards her. 

“Just… just take my hand, okay?” Betty shakily nodded and reached towards him, their fingertips almost touching. He clasped her cold hand and stopped, breathing heavily. More cracks appeared under them and Betty whimpered. 

“Look, I’ve got you.” He assured. “On the count of three, okay?” Betty’s head snapped up to stare at him.

“What?” She had time to ask before Jughead shouted.

“Three!” In a split second, Jughead used his momentum to swing Betty back towards Archie, the ice slipping under both of their feet as they slid away from each other. Jughead slid past the cracks Betty had made and onto smooth, unbroken ice, while Betty slid right into Archie’s arms, onto thicker ice. Jughead recovered his balance and saw Betty, safe, close to the bank of the river. He cracked a smile. 

“See?” He laughed, and Betty gave him a shaky smile. Veronica and Cheryl sighed in relief and Archie smiled at him, still hugging Betty, too relieved to say anything. 

“Okay, I’m gonna meet you at the bank,” Jughead called, taking a step to his left, and his eyes still trained on the group. 

“Jug, No-” Archie called right as Jughead stepped onto thin ice. Faster than he could blink, he felt the ice give away under him and he was engulfed in cold, black water. 

“Jughead!” Betty screamed as he disappeared into the swirling black water. “No!”

“Not again!” Veronica shouted as Archie shot forward, only to be stopped by Cheryl, who was pointing to the cracks in the ice where Betty once stood. 

“We have to go around!” Shouted Archie, not hesitating before shooting off towards the bank, circling back around to where his friend disappeared. Betty steeled herself, her expression turning hard and determined before she set off after Archie. Veronica held onto Cheryl and helped her towards the safe earth, letting her rest against a tree, before running back out onto the ice after her friends. 

Jughead didn’t believe in life after death. He had always thought you got one shot, and then you’re done. Humans didn’t know how conciousness worked, if it simply disspeared after death or if it ascended to some unearthly paradise. That was a load of bullshit, he had always thought. Maybe it was his pessimistic outlook on most things, but he didn’t really have a background that let him have a more positive way of thinking. No matter, he thought death was just the end. Your cells stop circulating through your body, your brain goes quiet, your heart stops beating. The light at the end of the tunnel was just a story he had no way of proving. But now, so close to death itself, he was scared, and suddenly unsure of everything he thought to be true. He wasn’t afraid of it before, he knew it would come eventually and he wold submit to simple darkness, without anymore suffering he would have to live through. But he didn’t want to die, not now, he managed to think as he plunged through the ice. Jughead didn’t expect the cold until it hit him like an icy shock, forcing his body to automatically inhale. A mistake, obviously, when water rushed into his mouth, choking him. He shut his mouth abruptly and forced himself to swim up. He didn’t have his coat, thankfully, or else it would’ve dragged him down. He saw the light on the surface and reached his hands for it, letting out a last desperate kick. His palms slammed into a thick wall. No, he thought, beginning to panic. No, No, please, no. He slammed his hands against the ice, hoping to break the only thing separating him from life and death and sweet, sweet air. But no, it stayed firm above him. Jughead felt his lungs burn, and kicked again, forcing himself to stay afloat. But it was no use. Using the last of his energy, he gave one last desperate slap against the ice, but his movements were slow and sluggish in the cold water, slowly making him go numb, so his act barely made a dent. He began to sink, his eyes slowly drifting closed and going closer and closer to the darkness below him, farther away from the light. This isn’t so bad… Jughead thought to himself. He had always thought to drown would be the worst kind of death. But now, he only felt peace. Dying isn’t so bad. He thought, simply drifting in his thoughts and the water around him. I could just go to sleep… Then he heard more cracks, coming from above him, yet muffled in the water. He saw a shadow reach toward him, it’s arm extended but not far enough to reach him. Jughead was confused, his brain foggy and tired. He wasn’t cold anymore, he was almost warm. You don’t have to save me. He called to the hand. It’s okay. His last thought was of Betty, her smiling face and big green eyes. I can’t leave her, He thought. But it was so hard to stay awake now. It would be so easy to submit to the river. Betty was safe, and everything was okay. But then Jughead imagined her, crying, alone. He saw his father, returning to old habits drinking his grief away until death claimed him too. Gathering all his remaining strength and will, he gave a final pull and reached toward light and life. 

“I can’t reach him!” Archie shouted to Betty, who was staring at the dark water in horror. His entire arm was submerged, desperately reaching to his friend. 

“No, no, Jughead, please!” Betty cried, crouching on the ice and watching him sink deeper into the water. 

“I’m going in,” Archie said, determination lacing his tone. 

“Archie, no!” Veronica commanded. “You’ll never make it.”

“What else are we supposed to do, Ronnie?!” Archie’s hand never left the water, and he looked up at her, his eyes wide and filled with the fear of losing his best friend. He gasped and pushed his whole head in, and Veronica stayed deathly silent along with Betty, the two girls staring numbly at the hole in the ice, one of the boys halfway under, the other nowhere in sight. Betty didn’t cry, she didn’t say a word. She only watched Archie grope for her boyfriend in the cold, black, water. She didn’t know what she would do if he never came back up. She didn’t realize how much she loved him until he was moments away from death, and she would give anything for him to hold her, to kiss her lips. 

“Jughead… please.” She whispered, and almost immediately, Archie shot up, splashing ice cold water everywhere and gasping for breath. Veronica yelped, and the redhead pulled Jughead out of the river. Betty gave a cry of relief and helped pull him out of the ice, setting his head on her lap. 

“Jughead.” She slapped his cheek, softly. He didn’t move. His eyelids didn’t so much as flutter. 

“He’s not breathing,” Archie whispered. “Betty, he’s not-” Betty realized it too, and let out a sob, tears beginning to stream down her face. 

“Come on.” Betty’s slaps turned more violent, the smack ringing through the air and his face turning red as her hands continued to try and wake him. 

“Betty,” Archie tried again. “He’s not-”

“I know!” She interrupted Archie. “Come on, we have to do CPR.” She settled her boyfriend on the ice and Archie began pumping on his chest. Betty tilted his chin up and pinched his nose before pressing her lips to his and exhaling, hard, into his mouth. She lifted her head up, gasping, and tried again. 

“Please, Jug.” She cried, doing it for the third time. “Please.” 

Suddenly, his body convulsed, and Betty and Archie pulled away as he choked up water, gasping and coughing. 

“Jug.” Betty laughed, her tears frozen to her face. Yet more was falling. He looked at her, gasping and inhaling sharply as if he couldn’t get enough air. “Yes, that’s it. It’s okay. Just breathe.” She encouraged. His eyes never left hers and his breathing slowed down and almost returned to normal. Betty cradled his shoulders and cried into his half-frozen, half-wet hair. She realized he had lost his beanie, but that thought was quickly discarded as his body convulsed again in a shudder. 

“We need to warm him up,” Archie said quickly. Betty took off her coat and scarf and wrapped it around Jughead, who was trembling more violently now. “Hurry.” 

Jughead had always been on the small, scrawny side, so Archie managed to lift him quite easily. They made it to the bank where Cheryl was standing without any more near-death experiences, thankfully. Jughead had closed his eyes again, and Betty reached over, grabbed his face, and shook it harshly. His eyes snapped open, his gaze darting around wildly until it landed on Betty’s face.

“No sleeping,” Betty commanded firmly. Jughead didn’t say anything but didn’t close his eyes again. Archie stayed strangely quiet as they trekked through the snowy forest, holding the small, cold teenager in his arms. Cheryl was being supported by Veronica but was beginning to look a bit better from the warmth that Jughead’s jacket provided. Jughead, however, was still pale and letting out violent shudders. Archie couldn’t say anything. He could have just lost his best friend. He had never treated Jughead right, always blowing him off for the football team, Ms. Grundy, or Veronica, and sometimes even his own girlfriend. Yet despite everything Jughead had still been there for him. Even when things were hard for him, when he didn’t even have a home to go back to, Jughead was able to forgive him. And Archie still couldn’t treat him right. His guilt rested heavily on his shoulders, along with the shock and fear of nearly losing him for good. He pulled Jughead closer to him, who was trembling harshly. Betty glanced over at her boyfriend and saw that his dark blue eyes were slowly drifting shut, despite his attempts to keep them open. Betty bit her lips, her eyes welling with tears again. 

“Hey, it’s okay, Jug. We’re almost there.” She reassured gently. His tired eyes met hers, then glanced up at Archie. Archie returned his gaze and offered a shaky smile. Jughead’s eyes closed again before he could see Archie’s face fall, filled with guilt, fear, and shock. The black-haired boy’s breathing was harsh and raspy, but still there, and both Betty and Archie clung to it like an anchor, as they continued to trudge through the snow. 

Not long after, Betty, Archie, and Jughead found themselves standing in front of Archie’s house. Well, in reality, Betty and Archie were standing, Jughead was still limp and dripping in Archie’s arms. Veronica and Cheryl had been found by Hermione Lodge, who had allowed Cheryl and her daughter into the Pembrooke, but no one else. After a lot of shouting on Archie’s part, they gave up and ended up here. Archie insides still churned with anger at Hermione. Jughead could die and she still insisted on being petty. Speaking of Jughead, he was no longer shivering, but very still - too still - as if he didn’t even have the energy to shiver. His breaths came out in small clouds, and his eyes were closed. Archie was also freezing, his hair frozen and his torso wet from Jughead’s clothes. He wished their phones weren’t dead - they could have called 911 and Jughead could have been safe much earlier. Betty glanced at him then ran up to the door, pounding on it. 

“Mr. Andrews!” She screamed into the house. Archie snapped out of his haze and found his voice as well, though it was hoarse from screaming. 

“Dad!” He yelled, attempting to open the door with his foot and nearly dropping Jughead. The smaller teen let out a hoarse whimper but didn’t open his eyes. Archie was about to try again when the door finally flung open, and his dad stood on the doorstep. The first thing he noticed was Archie’s wet hair, but when his eyes drifted down to the still, wet, boy in his arms, his eyes widened and he reached out to take him from his son. 

“What happened?” Mr. Andrews cried, bringing Jughead into the warm house, Archie and Betty following. He didn’t wait for a response, stripping him of Betty’s now-wet coat and finding a blanket to wrap around him instead. His head lolled back, and Betty’s heart jumped painfully to see him so small, especially without his beanie. 

“Betty,” Mr. Andrews ordered. “Go upstairs and fill the bath with warm water. Warm. Not hot.” Betty didn’t waste a second and shot upstairs. 

“Come on, Arch.” Mr. Andrews glanced at his son, who was staring at Jughead with wide eyes, not saying a word. “Arch!”

“y-Yeah?” Archie stuttered, snapping out of it. 

“We have to take him upstairs. Help me carry him.” Archie stumbled forward to help his father. Then suddenly Betty was there. She stared hard at Archie, and his father also seemed to notice his shocked, vacant expression. Then Betty spoke up, her voice soft. 

“Go into your room and warm-up. We’ll help Jug.” Archie nodded miserably after a moments’ hesitation and stumbled into his room. 

Less than an hour had passed when Archie came out of his room, now wearing a clean pair of clothes. He had tried to get himself under control, but it ended unsuccessfully, and he gave into worry and went to check on Jughead. The bathroom was empty except for Jughead’s wet clothes. Archie nearly sprinted downstairs to see Betty and his father sitting at the dining room table, and Jughead was sleeping on the couch, now dry and in Archie’s clothes, which were way too big for his small frame. Betty was quiet, staring into the cup of tea she grasped between her hands. She saw Archie and stood up abruptly the tea sloshing. 

“I’m gonna sit with Jughead.” She said quietly and stumbled into the neighboring room. Archie numbly sat down next to his dad, knowing what would happen next. 

“What happened?” Mr. Andrews asked after a few minutes of sitting in silence. 

“Ch-Cheryl. She tried to, um, she fell into the r-river.” Archie began to spill everything, knowing he couldn’t burden it any longer. “Um, Sweetwater river. It was frozen. We- We got her out, but the ice started cracking under Betty.” Archie began to shake himself, knowing how close he came to losing his best friend without getting to apologize for the shitty way he had always treated him. “So Jughead, he-he pushed Betty back toward the stronger ice. But the ice was too thin, and- and he fell. We broke the ice to find him, but he was too deep down… he tried to swim up and I ducked my head in to reach him. We pulled him out but… Dad, I-” Archie let out a sob as Fred stood up, pulling Archie to his feet. He clasped his son in a tight hug as the redhead sobbed into his shoulder. 

“Arch. It’ll be okay. You saved him.” Fred reassured, and Archie quickly pulled himself together. 

“Can I sit with him?” Archie asked, his voice hoarse. Fred nodded. 

“Of course.” Archie walked into the living room and sat Betty rubbing Jug’s hand between hers. A blanket was draped over him and he realized the heat was turned high. Betty scooted to the side to give Archie space. Archie sat down with a sigh. 

“Is he gonna be okay?” Archie asked nervously, placing a hand on Jughead’s shoulder, but then moved it back to his lap. 

“For now,” Betty responded quietly, not meeting his eyes. “We’ll see when he wakes up.” She didn’t say any more, and Archie, layered with guilt and worry, settled down for a long wait. 

Jughead, however, was still back in the river. He was simply floating, the black surrounding him. Weird. He managed to think. How did he get here? Was he lucid dreaming? But deep down, he felt that something bad had happened. Am I dead? He knew that was incorrect, as he felt someone caressing his hand, and was warmed by their presence. He could hear people talking, some of them ranging from calm to high-pitched with worry. The person holding his hand said nothing while everyone else argued. What was going on? Were they arguing about him? Be quiet. Jughead tried to speak, but it only came out as a low moan. With that, everyone fell very silent very quickly. He began to return to consciousness, his eyelids heavy. He let out a sharp shiver, and then it all came back to him. Cheryl. The river. Betty. The ice cracking. Yes, that’s right. He suddenly felt an icy fear lace through him. Is Betty okay? He had to wake up. He just had to open his eyes. But he was so tired… 

“Jug.” That was his dad. He knew by the gravelly tone and to his surprise, desperation and fear mixed with his words. “Can you hear me?” Jughead gathered his strength and managed to twitch his finger. It was weird… the last time he could remember he couldn’t even feel his fingers. The person holding it - Betty, he now realized - gasped. Jughead felt comforted with the thought that she was okay. And his father too. 

“Jughead…” That was Archie. “Can you open your eyes?” Jughead tried and failed, his eyelids flickering as he tried again. Finally, after agonizing silence, he cracked them open to bright lights, and promptly shut them again, letting out another groan through his teeth. 

“Someone turn off the lights.” Someone obeyed Betty’s sharp command, and Jughead opened his eyes again. In a flash, a certain blonde was hugging him tightly, and caught by surprise, he let out a grunt as she landed on him. After a moment, his arms lifted to hug her back, weakly. He closed his eyes and breathed in her comforting scent. Too soon, she pulled away, and he already missed her warm presence, but her hand resumed its place in his. He stared at her for a second, taking in her big green eyes, perfect face, and blonde hair, before his eyes moved to the person kneeling next to her. 

“D-Da…d?” He rasped in surprise, letting out a sharp cough, shocked at how quiet and hoarse his voice sounded. 

“Jug.” FP cried out in relief, gripping his shoulder tightly. “That’s my boy.” He looked around the room, spotting Veronica, Fred, and Archie. 

“Where…?” He tried again, looking around. 

“My house,” Fred spoke up from the back. “You really gave us a scare, Jug.” Betty helped him sit up and handed him a hot cup of tea, which he drank gratefully, quenching his thirst and making his throat feel infinitely better. Jughead’s eyes flicked to Archie, who had been strangely quiet since he woke. He reached his hands to his hair, preparing to pull his beanie down more securely on his head, but was only met with empty air. He inhaled sharply, pressing his hands to his black hair as if it had disappeared beneath his locks. 

“Jug,” Betty said softly, taking his hands away from his head and into hers. He was faintly aware of his father and Fred leaving the room. FP was annoyed to be dragged away from his son but knew Betty, Archie, and Veronica could give him the support his son needed better than he could. “I’m sorry… your beanie…” 

“I-It’s okay.” Jughead interrupted sharply, staring at the floor. Betty was quiet, and Veronica sat down next to her awkwardly. He felt his girlfriends’ grip tighten before she started yelling. 

“What were you thinking?!” She screamed, and Jughead started back in surprise. “We could have lost you for good. Don’t ever do something that stupid again.” He then realized fat tears were rolling down her cheeks, and Veronica placed a hand on her shoulder in support. Jughead reached over and embraced her again. 

“I’m sorry.” He whispered. “But it’s okay now. You’re safe. I’m safe. It worked out.” She jerked away, glaring at him. 

“You can’t seriously think that what you did was okay!” She shouted, and Jughead shrugged, cracking a smile. 

“It could’ve been worse.” Betty stared at him, her face mixed with shock and anger. “It could’ve been you.” 

“No, Jug!” She sobbed into his shoulder, her anger vanishing. “Don’t risk your life for me again…” He sighed and hugged her tightly. 

“We’re glad you’re safe, Jughead,” Veronica said quietly. Jughead raised an eyebrow at her. They wouldn’t be friends if it wasn’t for Archie and Betty, and he wasn’t particularly fond of the raven-haired girl, but she seemed sincere, for once. He offered her a thankful smile, before turning to Archie, who simply stared at him mutely, and looked away when they made eye contact.

“What happened?” Jughead asked shakily, laying against the couch again. The last few hours had been a blur, and he could only remember saving Betty and how close he came to death. 

“We broke through the ice again.” Betty filled in when he was met with silence. “B-but you were too far down. We thought one of us had to jump in to get you…” She glanced at Archie. “But then… suddenly Archie was pulling you out, and onto the ice. You weren’t breathing -” She stopped, took a breath, and continued. “So we did CPR, and you came back to us. We walked all the way to here, where Fred helped us.” 

“What’d my mom say?” He was met with silence yet again, and Betty looked at the floor. “You told her, right?” He asked after a minute. 

“Yes, of course, we did,” Veronica responded. “But…” 

“What?” Jughead spoke louder. “What is it?” 

“She’s not coming,” Betty spoke first. “I’m sorry.” Jughead stared at Betty for a second, then collapsed back on the couch. 

“That’s expected.” Was all he could get out, worried that if he said more, he might break down in front of his friends. He took a moment to recover, and his sarcastic wall was set up again. “It’s okay. It’s not even a big deal.” Before Betty could protest, he turned to Archie. 

“So what’s up with you, man?” He asked. “What’s wrong?” Archie’s head snapped up and finally met his best friends eyes. 

“Nothing. I’m glad you’re safe.” He mumbled lamely. 

“We both know thats a load of crap.” Jughead shot back. “So are you gonna tell me what’s up?” 

“You scared the shit outta me Jug.” Archie responded quietly, and continued. “I could have lost you. I remember seeing you, trapped uner the ice, and I thought i would never see you again, without even saying sorry.” 

“Sorry?” Jughead repeated. “Sorry for what? What happened wasn’t your fault.”  
“No. I-I mean, for how I’ve treated you.” Betty and Veronica were deathly quiet. “Like you weren’t my best friend, or my brother. Like I could discard you whenever I felt like it. I was so oblivious to your suffering, only caring about me, always. Choosing Reggie and Chuck over you when they bullied you. Even ms. Grundy. I’ve been so stupid. I’m so sorry, Jug.”

Now Jughead was quiet too, staring at him. He so badly wanted to say that Archie was just overthinking, he was fine and always was. But that was a lie. He wanted to badly to bottle things up away from his friends like he always does. 

“Archie,” Jughead started. “It’s okay. You will always be my brother.” He settled with, and was surprised when Archie trapped him in a hug. Jughead hugged back, burying his face in Archie’s broad shoulder. Archie squeezed his friend, knowing that he could have lost him just a few hours ago. He felt Betty join in, and finally Veronica, and niether of the boys had ever felt safer. The four clung to each other, knowing whatever came at them they could face it, together.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry this was kind crappy cuz I wrote it kind of quickly but if you enjoyed then please please please leave a comment. :) Thank you so much. 
> 
> Love you!
> 
> CATOFWATER


End file.
